This invention relates to a headrest arrangement for seats, such as motor-vehicle seats, having a pivotally supported headrest element which can be rotated from a storage position into a use position.
Headrests for seats serve primarily to achieve a comfortable sitting posture. This applies not only to seats with headrests for general use but also to motor vehicle seats which include headrests. Rather than serving essentially to provide a comfortable sitting posture, however, motor vehicle seat headrests assure appropriate support for the head and the neck of the seated person in the event of an accident.
A vehicle seat thus primarily has to satisfy safety aspects. This applies in particular to the usually adjustable height position and also to the contour of the headrest. Such a headrest for motor vehicles is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,971,393 and 5,108,150. As described in those patents, a headrest is arranged so that it can be adjusted in height out of the driver's seat on adjustable rails or rods, and usually has a suitable contour. The headrest contour is normally padded and is intended to satisfy the above-mentioned safety requirements. Those patents likewise discloses a side element for the headrest which can be connected to the body of the headrest or to the rod arrangement and can be moved from a storage position into a use position. The side part is connected to a retaining element which can be mounted on the guide elements or rails of the headrest. According to those patents, the lateral headrest referred to therein makes it possible for a passenger to rest his head to the side, for example, during a relatively long journey. This assures a sitting posture in which a passenger's head is in a comfortable position and which relieves stress on the cervical vertebrae, but a headrest which is designed for this purpose, and which because of its shape can only be used for this purpose, is unacceptable, from a safety point of view, for a driver of a motor vehicle. The lateral headrest of those patents is arranged so that it is located beneath the actual headrest, and it is only possible to rest one's head on it if the head is inclined to an extreme extent to either side. The fact that this makes it easy to assume a sleeping position is, of course, unacceptable for a driver and this should not be included in a driver's headrest for safety reasons. In other words, a headrest of this type can only be beneficial for a passenger.
It is also disadvantageous that, despite the presence of an additional lateral headrest, a passenger's head is not supported in the event of a side impact. Added to this is the fact that the low-level position of the lateral headrest in relation to the main headrest results in the cervical vertebrae rather than the head support itself being subjected to extreme mechanical loading in the event of a side impact. This might result in the passenger's neck being broken.
Further arrangements for headrests are known from the prior art. For example, German Gebrauchsmuster No. 94 18 167.5 discloses a headrest arrangement to which lateral headrest elements can be retrofitted. These lateral headrest elements are mounted subsequently and, in particular, rigidly to the main headrest. They may optionally comprise solid elements or else, as explained in this reference, inflatable side elements. The position of the side elements in relation to the main headrest is selected so that they are at the same level as the main headrest. That is, the side parts frame the driver's head, or the head of an individual sitting on the seat, on both sides. The disadvantage with this arrangement is that the headrest is rigid and the side parts have to be connected rigidly to the main headrest element. This rigid arrangement of the side parts is disadvantageous if, for example, the vehicle driver, because of his or her height, for example, does not wish to use one or both side parts. This may be restricting, in particular, when during maneuvering, for example, when the vehicle is moving slowly in order to be positioned accurately, and an unrestricted view to the side is required.
German Offenlegungsschraft No. 195 13 769 discloses a headrest arrangement in which there is also a side part arranged on the headrest. In this case, the side part is merely for mounting a telephone, no provision being made for appropriate support or protection for a passenger's head in the event of a side impact. Moreover, no provision is made for a suitable arrangement which would provide the appropriate protection.
Furthermore, a large number of head support arrangements are known in which electrical elements such as loudspeakers and, as in the abovementioned case, telephones and the like are integrated. Side parts are likewise provided for this purpose, as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,842. However, that patent merely discloses side parts which are aligned with the main headrest element and do not provide lateral support for the head. In addition, that patent deals primarily with the arrangement of a loudspeaker device which is positioned in the vicinity of the vehicle passenger's head. Safety aspects are not taken into consideration here at all.
German Patent No. 195 16 012 discloses a protective cover for a motor vehicle seat. That protective cover, however, is arranged to reduce the noise level for vehicle passengers. For this purpose, rather than just having lateral pieces projecting along the sides of the driver's head, the protective cover has a further projecting element arranged above the head, resulting in a continuous protective cover from which it is only possible to see out to the front. A cover which is thus closed on virtually all sides not only causes the freedom of movement of the vehicle passenger, including the vehicle driver, to be restricted and may result in an uncomfortable generation of heat, but, more importantly, obstructs the view of the driver or passenger.